Thomas Wistar (or Wister), 1764-1851, was a Philadelphia merchant. The Wistar family
was a well-known one in Pennsylvania: Thomas' grandfather, Caspar Wistar, was a maker
of brass buttons and later founded the first successful American glass house in Alloway
Township, New Jersey in 1739, while Thomas' brother Caspar Wistar was a renowned physician,
an early proponent of vaccination, and President of the American Philosophical Society.
The Wistars were members of the Society of Friends.

About Wistar's partner, Richard Adams, little is know other than that he was taken
on in late 1785 ("I have recently taken on a Partner in Trade [and] the Business in
future will be carried on under the Firm of Adams and Wistar," 12 Nov 1785) and that
by Sept of 1792 the partnership had been dissolved ("...closing the general accounts
of the late Partnership of Adams and Wistar," 3 Sep 1792).

The collection consists of a leatherbound letter book containing copies of a hundred
or so business letters from the firm to various customers and suppliers between 1785
and 1793. The letters concern outstanding bills, orders, and other business matters,
mention imports ranging from indigo to silk handkerchiefs to seed, and are addressed
to correspondents in England, Ireland, France, Jamaica and more.

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require
advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance
concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before
publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.